Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner I would rather hear a ringing phone than...

...a newborn baby crying while I'm trying to perform.

Just after starting Brahms' A Major Intermezzo (118 No.2), right at bar 9, a baby starts crying. At bar 57 the mom starts walking around, trying to soothe her. At bar 87 she finally decides to leave the room. And why would a baby sleep through Schubert's Op.90 No.1 but wake up and cry during Brahms?

So what has annoyed you during your performing (aside from the usual)?

The very fact that the mother brought a newborn baby into a concert hall is annoying enough! Unless it was her home and she asked you to play for her, or something...

I could write a book. Or a post anyway.

-- At one of my first recitals, right at the beginning of the first piece (Weber's Invitation to the Dance) someone shoots a flashbulb photo. I thought I was gonna die. (But, after the fact, I was glad to have the pic -- plus, it turned out that this was the daughter of my first teacher, who by then was elderly and living far away, and the daughter took the pic to send it to her).

-- At an amateur competition, two of the organizers who were friends of mine were apparently interested in how I'd do, so just as I started playing, they walked onto the wing area offstage to watch. That sounds very nice, except that it put them basically right in my face. I didn't know whether to keep playing or to stop and get them away from there. Actually I did know what to do: the only choice was to keep playing. But I spent the whole time trying not to be distracted by them standing there staring at me, which was like trying not to think of elephants.

-- All kinds of things can happen at competitions because the setting is completely out of your control. At another competition, I found out when I hit my second note that the damper on a low note wasn't working, which meant that every time I hit it, the sound would continue even if I didn't want it to. I decided to have fun with it and sort of work it into the interpretation, and almost sort of succeeded. At another such event, the bench was unusually lightweight, and a few seconds into the piece, my body movement hurled the bench backwards so that I was hardly able to reach the keyboard any more.

... old folks who unwrap their individually packaged candies. They can't hear it but everyone within 20 yards can.

..people who yell out "Free Bird".

When I'm playing it's always "Whipping Post!"

Maybe that was a cue to immediately switch to Brahm's lullaby?? :P

I might be the only one to have this happen, but "nose whistles". In the middle of a piece, I've gotten the nose whistles, and either had to breathe from my mouth or try to ignore that sharp, albeit soft, high-pitched whistle every time I took a breath.

I'm just happy that people are still going to classical concerts, son I try to not let stuff like this bother me.

Except when they're talking loudly during the playing. Then it's very annoying.

Ya beat me! I was gonna say that.

Tomasino

I heard some bluehaired witches say:' I'm taking tram 11 after the concert' during me doing something very hard...

I got a cellphone ringing not once but twice during the first prelude in a performance I gave two weeks ago. First time, there was a murmur in the crowd and the lady (who was in the front row) looked very embarrased. Then 5 min later, just before the last bars, THE SAME PHONE RINGS AGAIN! I glanced over and it was the same lady! I was pretty disgusted. She didn't turn it off or put it on mute, she just hung up on that one caller. A louder annoyed murmur followed, but I am used to distracting noices so it didn't effect my performance. It's just a bit annoying now that I'm thinking about it. Such an ugly ringtone it was too, it was one of those stupid songs you know, not just beep beep, but a completely different melody. Some people...

Loud talking. I've never understood why people talk during a performance in the first place, but if you're going to talk, at least have to curtesy to whisper quietly!

12 tone and serial music! Oy! Makes my veins jump.

I agree, I can be comfortable with a piece that has a weak tonal center, but completely atonal music has never resonated with me.